Last Friday brought the first snowstorm of the year to the Tri-Towns and ORRHS. While the sight of the snow-covered landscape may have been lovely to some, that morning’s commute was far from it.
Classrooms and hallways were filled with stories of several near-accidents from student drivers that morning, as the layer of ice underneath the snow caused many to drift or spin out of control. To make matters worse, many streets – particularly in Rochester – hadn’t yet been plowed, leaving hazardous conditions for the inexperienced drivers.
“I was driving to school in second gear, so you know I wasn’t going more than 15 to 20 miles per hour,” said one junior who wishes to be left unnamed. “The car in front of me slammed into the back of another car, so I hit the breaks and my car starting skidding and wouldn’t stop. I had to swerve onto the sidewalk and hit a trashcan. Now I have a broken radiator…. It’s unbelievable we had school knowing that we are new drivers and the roads were terrible. I’m not saying we needed a snow day, but like an hour or two delay until the roads were drivable.”
Another senior added, “I drove really slow, but the roads were awful.”
The troubles continued once students made it into the parking lot. Many spoke of not being able to control their vehicle correctly into parking spots, made more difficult by the low vision from the falling snow and the snow layer obstructing the lines in the lot.
“The parking lot wasn’t cleared at all,” another junior commented. “Everyone was just guessing at parking [in] spots.”
Many of the students who drive to school only have experience from warmer months; even those who have encountered icy conditions before are still individuals who have only been driving for no more than two years at the most. Some suggested a delay in the start of school would have been appropriate.
Classes started about 25 minutes late regardless of the regular opening, as Route 6 became a line for cars and buses trying to drop off students and staff commuting from as far away as Rhode Island. With a good portion of the school absent at the time of the first bell, shortening the first class until their arrival lessened the amount of disruptions that could have occurred.
The cold weather caused problems at the end of the day for a few unfortunate students as well. Several students could be seen using jumper cables to start one of their cars after school. A few vehicles still had snow on their roofs as they left the lot, and several other students purposefully waited for the majority of the lot to empty before they, too, left for home.
With the first storm providing experience for all involved in the school commute, one can only hope that next time around, further precautions will be taken for the safety of everyone on the roads to school.
By Jo Caynon